Corsair CSSD-V60GB2A 30GB

This defines whether the drive is a large-capacity slower hard disk drive, a smaller-capacity but much faster solid-state drive, or a hybrid

Physical Size

2.5"

The size of the drive dictates which drive bays it will fit into - generally a small drive will fit into any bigger drive bay with an adapter

Capacity

30GB

The drive storage capacity is the limit to the size of files that can be stored

Release Date

23 Jun 2011

The later the release, the more likely manufacturer support will still be around

Cache Size

128MB

The bigger the cache, the more data that can be temporarily stored for faster access

Power Required

1W

HDDs should generally require very little power to run, and SSDs even less

Read Speed

270MB/s

The read speed is how fast the drive can read from data stored on it

Write Speed

220MB/s

The write speed is how fast the drive can store data

Drive Interface

SATA 3Gb/s

The interface is the type of motherboard connection and defines the bandwidth limit of the drive

CSSD-V60GB2A 30GB compatibility review

The Corsair CSSD-V60GB2A 30GB is a solid-state drive, which means it stores data using flash memory similar to how USBs store data, but much more effectively. Solid-state drives perform much more effectively than hard disk drives, with faster read/write speeds, lower latencies, and even higher physical shock resistance, but come at a price premium. An SSD will cost much more than an HDD with an equivalent storage capacity - although SSDs are becoming cheaper and more viable over time. A common choice is to use a small SSD for an OS installation such as Windows for fast boot times and OS performance, and to use an HDD for applications and files. This avoids the negative point that over-use of data-writing can eventually lead to SSD degradation (although modern SSDs are said to take years before degradation), because Windows does not write much data, but its data is read often.

The Corsair CSSD-V60GB2A 30GB is a decent drive that matches the best HDDs available in performance.

Its read speed of 270MB/s is quite slow for an SSD, which may result in disappointing loading speeds for installed applications and games. Its write speed of 220MB/s is quite slow, and storing data to the drive could take longer than expected.

With a capacity of 30GB, the Corsair CSSD-V60GB2A 30GB has a tiny amount of storage space, so small in fact that you may find a Windows installation would quickly fill it up entirely, which could be dangerous. A linux OS, such as Ubuntu, may be okay. Otherwise, this SSD should only be used for files and priority applications. However big the drive, an SSD should always have enough unused memory to be able to rotate space and minimize the reuse of the same areas of the drive. Because each block of space has a limited lifespan, by spreading out the reuse of space it prolongs the lifespan of the SSD as a whole.

Using the SATA 2.0 3Gb/s interface this SSD will probably not be limited by its motherboard connection, though later SSD iterations can exceed this limitation and require SATA 3.0 access to reach their full potential.

A form factor size of 2.5" is standard for laptop drives and solid-state drives, and this will fit into any 2.5" drive bay. These drive bays are not yet ubiquitous, but it will also fit into a standard 3.5" or 5.25" drive bay with the appropriate adapter.